Still not convinced about Twitter?

I know.  I admit to remaining somewhat sceptical about Twitter myself.  But it is rather infectious and when you look at the handy list of tweeting journalists in the UK compiled by PRblogger.com, can you really afford to be left behind?

Exactly how journalists are using Twitter may vary widely, but at the end of the day it’s all about networking and sharing information – the basic building blocks of good journalism.  The technology and its use will continue to evolve, but telling a good story will always draw a crowd, or should that be flock?

Who says soap and oil don’t mix?

Just back from the screening of Red Oil, mediaco-op‘s fantastic new documentary about the social revolution and the oil industry in Venezuela.  But as the tag line above suggests this is far from a worthy but dry modern studies lesson.  Mediaco-op’s colourful South American subjects are painted like soap opera characters – goodies or baddies, heros or villains.  And just as you start to cheer or hiss,  there’s yet another twist in this real life plot.   Who says debating foreign politics and social issues like poverty in shanty towns can’t be fun?

“Don’t miss it…. Insightful and funny” The List
“A dramatic cast of larger-than-life characters… You couldn’t make this up…” Clare English on BBC Radio Cafe

And as an extra treat for everyone at the screening in Glasgow tonight,  La Redonda from Caracas, the band who composed the soundtrack for Red Oil played live.  Oh, if only I had a smidgeon of South American rhythm!  Check out their My Space page to hear some tracks.

News Junkies Cash In

OK.  I admit.  I haven’t yet been prolific on the blog front.  However I thought I should spread the word, especially amongst all you journalism students, that there’s still money to be had in this profession despite all the cutbacks and the credit crunch.  Edinburgh-based start-up Hubdub has launched its UK edition of the online game where you can use your knowledge of the news to predict what’ll happen next.  And they give you $1,000 to get started! …OK…not real money…but why not have some fun?  It surely could be a welcome break from all those shorthand classes?

On a more serious note though, Hubdub is partnering with various news providers keen to engage more with their audience online.

Lesley Eccles, one of the founders of Hubdub, commented:

It’s great to be launching in the UK, despite the recession. People are going to be looking for free entertainment and will turn to the web to find it. Hubdub is free, exciting and keeps you informed. In addition, news sites are looking to engage and interact further with their readers and Hubdub gives them a fantastic means to do so.

Having secured partnerships with leading media news sites including Reuters and The Independent, Hubdub is taking prediction markets more mainstream and making them easier for casual browsers to appreciate. Sitting beside high quality news content, Hubdub provides news sites with additional ways to engage their readers, keeping them online longer and returning on a regular basis.

Farewell to the Pride of the Clyde

Stuck in an edit suite all day yesterday, I was sad I had missed the return of the QE2 to the Clyde on the most beautiful of autumn days.  A chance meeting with a neighbour in the evening however saw the two of us jump in the car and drive over the back road to Greenock to send the grand old lady off for the final time.  And it was one of those special moments when you really feel you are witnessing history.

As we drove through Greenock, the crowds were pouring out of every side street, making their way down to the river.  In fact, the parking was so bad, the first free space was nearly in Gourock.  But there was a sense of excitement and anticipation as we walked down to the esplanade and along towards the star attraction.  Thousands of people lined the railings.  Small children on parents’ shoulders marvelled at the spectacular fireworks.  Beside them, grannies who remember when shipbuilding was the lifeblood of the community, marvelled more at the great presence and beauty of the ship itself.  Young and old joined together in the occasion.

At 41, the QE2 and I are the same age.  Launched from John Brown’s in 1967, she was built in a very different era.  Back then we had record players and one black and white TV with just two channels, and my parents had a VW Beetle.  Thousands of jobs depended upon the Clyde shipbuilders’ order books.  Back then laptops, MP3 players and mobile phones would have been unimaginable.  Here is a great archive of QE2 being built, launched and interiors from her early days at sea.

Four decades on however the media is one of the biggest employers on the Clyde.  While sadly we may have lost many of the skilled craftsmen who made the QE2 the world’s leading luxury liner, we have a new breed of journalists and programme makers who have the potential to make waves around the world too.  Instead of honing their skills in one media, the new generation of reporters are beginning to work across all platforms, and are experimenting with new technology to engage consumers.  As well as their own account of the day online, check out the BBC’s viewers photos.

Or better still, search flickr (QE2 Greenock 2008) for some great pictures – from the flotilla accompanying the liner’s arrival to the fireworks display at night.  YouTube’s offerings are less inspiring so far, but this one, with added music has generated quite a few comments from people with lumps in their throats.  And even the MOD was twittering as the frigate HMS Manchester sailed alongside her fellow Falklands veteran.

This combination of citizen journalism and mainstream media has created a unique snapshot of a memorable day.  Best wishes to the Pride of the Clyde for her future in Dubai.

Peace One Day

Just watched The Day After Peace documentary by Jeremy Gilley on BBC2.  As soon as the film was finished, I went to www.peaceoneday.org and made a commitment to observe Peace Day next year.  The number of peacemakers who were being added to the website in the moments after the film finished was a testament to the inspirational work of Jeremy and his team of filmmakers.  In my new post as a lecturer at Cally I hope I can show journalism students just how much difference their work in the future can make to the lives of individuals both in their own communities and indeed all around the world.  I shall certainly be buying a copy of the DVD to illustrate both the power of journalism and the responsibilities that lie with a journalist to use that power wisely.

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